Housing for fan support



Aug. 25, 1953 w. J. MORRILL HOUSING FOR FAN SUPPORT Original Filed March 3, 1948 ELEM/c Patented Aug. 25, 1953 HOUSING FOR- FAN SUPPORT Wayne J. Morrill, Garrett, Ind.

Original application March 3, 1948, Serial No. 12,742. Divided and this application December 29, 1951, Serial No. 264,078

6 Claims. (01. 230-273) My invention relates in general to a housing for supporting a fan and in particular, to a neat appearing housing which may be stamped from sheet metal.

An object of my invention is to provide a fan support housing which is economical and easy to manufacture, yet is sturdy in construction.

Another object of my invention is to provide a fan housing which may be constructed by welding together a front support member and back support member.

Another object of my invention is to construct a housing from support members in which the outer walls are wider than the inner walls to provide access to both outer walls for fastening the members together.

Another object of my invention is to provide a fan support housing which may be constructed by stamping a front support member and a back support member from sheet metal and fastening these support members together.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a stamped support member for a fan housing which has a side portion with an opening therein, an outer wall portion extending perimetrically thereabout and perpendicular thereto and which has an inner wall portion extending about the opening in the side portion and perpendicular to the side portion.

A further object of my invention is the provision of stamped support members, each having a side portion with an opening therein and having an outer wall portion integra1 with the side portion and extending perimetrically thereabout and overlapping a neck of the outer wall portion of the other support member, and each having an inner wall portion extending about the opening and toward the other support member, with the outer wall portions of the support members connected together.

This application is a division of my application Serial No. 12,742, filed March 3, 1948, entitled Fan Support Housing.

Other objects and a fuller understanding of my invention may be had by referring to the following description and claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 of my drawings is a front elevational view of my fan support housing with a fan sup ported therein and with a screen fastened to the back of the housing;

Figure 2 is a back view of my housing with the screen removed to better illustrate the supporting of the fan motor; a

Figure 3 is a sectional view along the line 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an exploded sectional view along the line 4-4 of Figure 2 with the parts of the housing separated to better illustrate the structure of each part; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view illustrating the welding of the front and back support members together.

My new and useful fan support housing is illustrated in Figure 1 as supporting an electric fan. The phraseology used in my description, and the structure illustrated in my drawings describe the preferred embodiment of my invention but do not thereby limit the scope of the invention. My preferred fan support housing, which is illustrated as supporting an electric fan, generally comprises a front support member In and a back support member ll fastened together by spot welding. The fan motor is supported by support arms l3, carried by the back support member H. A grill or wire screen [4 may be placed over the back of this fan as illustrated in Figures 1 and 3 to make the fan much safer and to stop insects from going through the fan. When my fan support housing is completely assembled, the fan is supported within the housing so that the grill I4 could be placed either on the front or the back of the housing.

The front support member I!) has a front side portion It with a large opening therein. This front side portion I6 is illustrated as being substantially rectangular in shape and having a circular opening; however, it is understood that the side portion may be constructed of any desired shape. When the rectangular shape is used, the fan support housing may be inserted in a window. In Figure 4 I illustrate the exact construction of this front side portion 16. The front support member has an outer wall portion l1 integral with the front side portion l6 and extending about the perimeter thereof. The outer wall portion I1 is disposed substantially perpendicular to the side portion I6. The front support member also has an inner wall portion l8 integral with the front side portion l6 and extending about the opening in the front side portion It. This inner wall portion I 8 is also substantially perpendicular to the front side portion l6.

In constructing the front support member I0, I have found it very economical and efiicient to use stampings from sheet metal or other similar materials which may be formed on punch presses.

The wall portions are drawn to the correct size and relative position during this stamping and drawing process by the punch press. In prior art, it has been necessary to build these housings from many separate pieces. I have eliminated much of this expens by punching a blank with an opening therein and drawing this blank into the shape of the support member to provide the integral side portion and the wall portions. It is noted, by looking at the drawings, that the inner and outer wall portions are close together on the sides of the support member and are spaced far apart at the corners of the support member. This spacing variation between the wall portions is caused by making the perimeter of the side portion rectangular and by making the opening in the side portion circular.

The outer wall portion extends substantially perpendicular from the front side portion It and terminates in an edge H) which is in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the front side portion I6. Similarly, the inner wall portion I8 terminates in a substantially annular edge 20 which is disposed in a plan substantially parallel to the plane of the front side portion IS. The edge IQ of the outer wall portion ll is spaced further from the front side portion 16 than the edge 20 of the inner wall portion is.

The back support member H is constructed generally in the same manner as the front support member ID. I have designated this back support member II as having a back side portion 22 with an outer wall portion 23 and an inner wall portion 24. In construction, the back side portion 22 and the wall portions 23 and 2-4 are substantially equivalent to their respective portions in the front support member H). I have also designated the outer wall portion 23 of the back support member as terminating in an annular edge 25 and the inner wall portion 24 as terminating in an annular edge 26. Since the outer wall portions have a greater width than the inner wall portions, the annular edge 26 of the inner wall portion 24 of the back support member II is spaced from the annular edge 20 of the inner wall portion I8 of the front support member H].

In the preferred constructio of my fan support housing, I have found it very desirable to provide the front support member with a neck portion 50. This neck portion 50 is a part of the outer wall portion H and defines the edge l9. When the front support member Ill and the back support member II are assembled, the back support member H extends over the neck portion 50. My preferred fan support housing is very easy to assemble and manufacture. The support members are constructed on punch presses with the front support member Ill having the neck portion 50. The back support member II is slipped over top of this neck portion 50 so that the edge 25 of the front support member engages the wall portion defined by the neck 58. The wall portion 5| is formed between the outer surface of the outer wall portion I! and the outer surface of the neck portion 50. The edge if? of the neck portion 59 of the support member lil thus is disposed within the wall 23 of the back support member I. After the front and back support members have been slipped together, they are spot welded as illustrated in Figure 5. In spot welding the front and back support members ill and El together, one electrode 52 is inserted through the space between the inner wall portions of the support members and against the inside of the outer wall portions. The other electrode 53 is abutted against the outside of the outer wall portions. Thus, as illustrated in my drawings, the inner electrode 52 engages the neck portion 50, and the outer electrode 53 engages the outer wall 23 of the back support member. I have discovered that by constructing the two support members with the inner walls of less width than the outer walls, I can Weld the front and back support members together without using any specially built equipment. It is also understood that this gap between the inner walls of the front and back support members is of sufiicient width to permit riveting or bolting 0f the outer walls together, should this type of construction be desired.

I have preferably fastened the spaced support arms [3, which are disposed parallel to each other to carry the fan therebetween, to the inner wall portion 24 of the back support member H. The inner wall portion 24 of the back support member H has shoulders 28 stamped therein. These shoulders 28 are disposed in planes perpendicular to the axis of the support arms or rods and each has an opening 29 therein. The ends of the support arms 13 abut against the respective shoulders 28, and each end of each support arm ha a threaded bolt hole therein. Bolt 30 are threadable into these bolt holes and extend through the openings 29 to bolt the support arms l3 to the inner wall portion 24 of the back support member ll. I have found it desirable to bolt these support arms to the inner wall portion; however, it is understood that they may be welded to the wall portion. Cross arms 3| may be fastened to the motor'of the fan and extend between the spaced support arm l3 to support the fan within the fan housing, as shown in the drawings.

After the front and back support members l0 and H are alignably connected together and the support arms l3 are fastened to the inner wall portion 24, I insert a band 32 to cover the space between the inner wall portions. This band 32 engages the surface of the inner wall portion l8 of the front support member ID and the surface of the inner wall portion 24 of the back support member II. This band 32 has tabs 33 punched therein to extend between the edges 20 and 26 of the inner wall portions. These tabs 33 are spaced so that some of the tabs engage the edge 23 of the inner wall portion l8 of the front support member H3 and other of the tabs engage the edge 26 of the inner wall portion 24 of the back support member H. When the band 32 is inserted to cover this space between the inner wall portions, the tabs 33 are extended to engage the respective edges of the inner wall portions. Then the band will not become disengaged from the support members and will make a neat appearing internal housing surface extending about the fan.

My new and improved fan housing is very easy to manufacture and assemble. The front and back support members I 0 and II are stamped from sheet metal in the same punch press. The back support members are then processed to provide the inner wall portion with the shoulders 28. The support arms l3 are fastened to these shoulders 28 before the support members II) and II are fastened together. After the front and back support members have been spot welded or otherwise fastened together, the band 32 is inserted within the inner wall portions and the tabs 33 set against the respective edges of the inner wall portions to hold the band in place. The fan motor is then fastened by the cross arms 3| to the parallel-spaced support arms [3 and the grill fastened to one side of the fan support housing. When my fan support housing is thus completely manufactured and the fan installed, it will readily slide into a rectangular or square opening in the building and provide a neat structure.

Although the invention has been described in its preferred form with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure of the preferred form has been made only by Way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a fan housing for supporting a fan in a substantially rectangularly shaped opening, the provision of a stamped front support member and a stamped back support member, each of said stamped support members having a, side portion and having a drawn inner wall portion and a drawn outer wall portion integral therewith, said side portion being substantially rectangular in shape and having a circular opening therein, said drawn outer wall portion extending perimetricallyabout and perpendicularly to the side portion and away from the side portion toward the opposite support member, said drawn inner wall portion extending about said circular opening and perpendicular to the side portion and toward the opposite support member, the outer wall portion of one of said members having a neck portion over which the outer wall portion of the other of said support members fits, connection means for connecting the overlapping outer wall portions of the front support member and the back support member, and support arms carried by the inner wall portion of one of the support members for supporting the fan within the housing.

2. A sheet metal fan housing for supporting a fan in a generally rectangularly shaped opening, said housing comprising front and back stamped sheet metal support members, each having a rectangularly shaped outer perimeter and a circular opening therein, each support member having a drawn sheet metal inner wall around the circular opening and a drawn sheet metal outer wall around the outer perimeter, both integral with the support member and extending transversely therefrom, said outer walls of said front and back support members terminating in overlapping edges, one of said support members having a reduced diameter neck portion on the outer wall over which the outer wall of the other support member fits, means for fastening together said outer walls and holding the outer walls in 00- planar relationship, said inner walls terminating in edges spaced from each other, a circular sheet metal band within said inner walls and overlapping each inner wall, and bendable tabs on one of said inner walls and said band holding the band in overlapping engagement with said inner walls.

3. A sheet metal fan housing for supporting a fan in a generally rectangularly shaped opening, said housing comprising front and back stamped sheet metal support members, each having a rectangularly shaped outer perimeter and a circular opening therein, each support member having a drawn sheet metal inner wall around the circular opening and a drawn sheet metal outer wall around the outer perimeter, both integral with the support member and extending transversely therefrom, said outer walls of said front and back support members terminating in overlapping edges, one of said support members having a reduced diameter neck portion on the outer wall over which the outer wall of the other support member fits, means for fastening together said outer walls and holding the outer walls in co-planar relationship, said inner walls terminating in edges spaced from each other, a circular sheet metal band within said inner walls and overlapping each inner wall, one of said inner walls and said band having bendable tabs holding the band in overlapping engagement with said inner walls, and fan support arm means carried by the inner wall of one of said support members for supporting the fan in said opening.

4. A sheet metal fan housing for supporting a fan in a generally rectangularly shaped opening, said housing comprising front and back stamped sheet metal support members, each having a rectangularly shaped outer perimeter and a circular opening therein, each support member having a drawn sheet metal inner wall around the circular opening and a drawn sheet metal outer wall around the outer perimeter, both integral with the support member and extending transversely therefrom, said outer walls of said front and back support members terminating in overlapping edges, one of said support members having a reduced diameter neck portion on the outer wall over which the outer wall of the other support member fits, means for fastening together said outer walls and holding the outer walls in coplanar relationship, said inner walls terminating in edges spaced from each other, a circular sheet metal band within said inner walls and overlapping each inner wall, one of said inner walls and said band having bendable tabs holding the band in overlapping engagement with said. inner walls, and fan support arm means carried by the inner wall of one of said support members for supporting the fan in said opening.

5. A sheet metal fan housing for supporting a fan in a generally rectangularly shaped opening, said housing comprising front and back stamped sheet metal support members, each having a rectangularly shaped outer perimeter and a circular opening therein, each support member having a drawn sheet metal inner wall defining the circular opening and a drawn sheet metal outer wall around the outer perimeter, both integral with the support member and extending substantially perpendicularly therefrom, said outer walls of said front and back support members terminating in overlapping attachment edges, one of said outer walls having a neck portion to be closely overlapped by the other of said outer walls at the overlapping edges, weld means permanently securing together said outer walls at said attachment edges with the outer walls in co-planar relationship, said inner walls terminating in edges spaced from each other, a circular sheet metal band within said inner walls and overlapping each inner wall and extending substantially parallel to said inner walls, and bendable tabs on one of said inner walls and said band fastening said band in overlapping engagement with said inner walls, to thereby establish said housing as having a substantially rectangular cross-section along all radial lines with such rectangles of constant length as determined by said support members and of varying width as determined by the variation in spacing between said circular inner walls and band and said rectangular outer Walls.

6. In a fan housing for supporting a fan in a substantially rectangularly shaped opening, the provision of a stamped front support member and a stamped back support member, each of said stamped support members having a side portion and having a drawn inner wall portion and a drawn outer wall portion integral therewith, said side portion being substantially rectangular in shape and having a circular opening therein as defined by said inner wall portion, said drawn outer wall portion extending perimetrieally about and perpendicularly to the side portion and away from the side portion toward the opposite sup port member and terminating in an attachment edge, said drawn inner wall portion extending about said circular opening and perpendicular to the side portion and toward the opposite support member, the outer wall portion of the front support member being aligned with the outer wall portion of the back support member in co-planar relationship, support arms carried by the inner wall portion of one of the support members for supporting the fan motor within the housing, one of said outer wall portions having a reduced diameter neck portion to be closely overlapped by the other of said outer wall portions at the attachment edges, weld means permanently securing together said outer wall portions at said attachment edges, said inner wall portions terminating in edges spaced from each other, a circular sheet metal band within said inner wall portions and overlapping each inner wall portion and extending substantially parallel thereto, and bendable tabs on one of said inner wall portions and said band fastening said band in overlapping engagement with said inner wall portions, to thereby establish said housing as having a substantially rectangular cross section along all radial lines with such rectangles. of constant length as determined by said side portions and of varying width as determined by the variation in spacing between said circular inner wall portions and band and said rectangular outer wall portions.

WAYNE J. MORRILL.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,687,843 Miller Oct. 16, 1928 2,001,151 Newnham May 14,, 1935 2,385,152 Morrison Sept. 18, 1945 

